Why this pretense?

[This is in continuation of the previous topic English will emancipate the downtrodden in India,]

During my brief stint at an Indian software services company, one clear thinking business grad asked a simple question. ‘Why do we keep going to IITs every year to recruit? When we know that most of them want a very high salary which we do not provide, when we know that most of them do not turn up on joining day even after receiving offer letters, and when we know that most of them leave within the first year even if they do join?’

It was a very simple question, but based in ground reality.

All the senior folks who were getting ready for the yearly ritual of visiting various IIT campuses for recruitment suddenly got confused and started blabbering away- giving reasons like why our company has a brand name, why we take pride in premier institutes and excellence, and blah blah. Basically they were talking bullshit.

By asking that simple question this young man just called the whole charade a pretense. He opened our eyes to see the emperor naked.

We were kidding ourselves into thinking that IITians would join us and add value to the company when ground realities suggested that none of them stick beyond the first year and it was a waste of time and money to send huge delegations of senior management to these institutes every year for recruitment. We were putting our money in the wrong place chasing an elusive goal.

In the previous topic, English will emancipate the downtrodden in India, a lady wanted to rebut my argument and gave an example of her kid who goes to a Spanish school living in Mexico City.

I think hers is a VERY BAD EXAMPLE. Let me explain.

Since I have never been to Mexico, I cannot comment about that country. But I am familiar with few European nations where they promote their own language (instead of English). I am familiar with education system in France and Germany. So, let me take example of France.

In France, a kid goes to school to learn his subjects in French, and then goes to college and studies it in French- Sciences, Engineering and Economics are all in French. The professors teach in French and the text books are in French. The articles in major journals are in French or translated into French. If he wants to get information from Internet, it is in French. He can go onto do his PhD in Metallurgy in French. When he goes for a job interview, most probably, he will be interviewed in French. If he joins the government, the business is conducted in French, the circulars, memos and letters are in French. [Many of them study English but as another language].

In India, a kid in Telangana goes to a school for twelve years to learn his subjects in Telugu. But then he goes to a college- to study Engineering, Medicine, Physics or Economics in English. The text books are in English. The professors teach in English. The journals are in English. If the information is to be taken from Internet, it is in English. The PhD thesis is written in English. If he goes for a job interview, most probably, the interview will be in English. If he joins the government, the letters, memos and circulars are in English.

So who are we bullshitting here? When we know that the game is eventually played in English, why are we kidding ourselves here? Why can’t we call it what it is – a pretense. Why are we pretending? And to impress who?

When all our future is going to be in English, why can’t we just get started in English? Why should the downtrodden that have no choice but attend government schools be taught in regional languages, while all the well-off who have a choice send their kids to English-medium private schools?

The downtrodden in India already have so many handicaps to deal with, why force another handicap?

Related Topics: English will emancipate the downtrodden in India.